Jason Maples has spent much of his life around video games, but when he opened an esports center, his goal wasn’t to give people another reason to sit alone behind a screen. He wanted to create a place where gaming could actually bring people together.

In this episode, Jason and I talk about the rapidly growing world of esports, gaming addiction, online influencers, professional gamers, and the surprising community that can form when gamers move from isolated bedrooms into the same room. Jason also shares the story behind opening Bakersfield Esports Center and why creating a safe, family-friendly environment has become such an important part of its mission.

We also get into the tension Christians face with technology that can be used for both good and bad, how Jason’s faith influences the way he runs his business, and what it looks like to intentionally bring light into a culture rather than simply walking away from it.

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Troy Hess has spent more than a decade as a Chick-fil-A operator, but for him, running a restaurant is about a lot more than chicken, sales, or hitting the right numbers.

In this episode, Troy shares what it takes to build a strong workplace culture, develop young employees, lead with integrity, and genuinely care for the people entrusted to him. We also get into Chick-fil-A’s unique operator model, why Troy doesn’t believe in simply “coaching to the scoreboard,” and how he approaches everything from hiring and accountability to difficult conversations with his team.

And throughout it all, we talk about how Troy’s Christian faith shapes the way he leads, the responsibility he feels toward the people around him, and what it can look like to live out your faith through the work you do every day.

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What happens when a school superintendent who once championed classroom technology starts to wonder if schools have gone too far?

Bryan Easter has spent more than 20 years in education, and he’s watched technology transform the classroom from the inside. In this episode, Bryan shares why he changed his mind about screen time in schools, what hours on Chromebooks and other devices may be costing students, and why he believes it’s time to bring the pendulum back toward the middle.

We talk about how COVID accelerated one-to-one technology in schools, Bryan’s own 75-day experiment with a flip phone, the effects of screen time on kids, and what parents can do to better understand how technology is being used in their child’s classroom. Bryan also shares the grassroots effort he’s leading to influence education policy in California.

And ultimately, we get into the bigger question behind Christians Doing Stuff: how Bryan’s Christian faith shapes the way he approaches education, leadership, relationships, and the work he believes God has given him to do.

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Christians Doing Stuff is a podcast about what it looks like to follow Jesus in everyday life.

Join host Daniel Green for conversations with interesting people doing interesting things as they explore their work, families, passions, struggles, and even the ordinary stuff of life and discover how their faith shapes it all.